Todays Dentist

Everything You Want to Know About Dentistry

  • General Dentistry
    • Crowns
    • Root Canals
    • Decay
    • Stainless Steel Crowns
    • Laughing Gas
    • Tongue Tie
    • Wisdom Teeth
    • Dental Injections
    • Dental Sealants
    • TMJ Syndrome
    • First Dental Visit
    • Dry Socket
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Dental Amalgam
    • Esthetic Dentistry
    • Braces
    • Dental Implants
    • Congenitally Missing Teeth
    • Dental Veneers
  • Preventive Dentistry
    • Dental Sealants
    • Dental Hygienists
      • Teeth Cleaning
    • X-Rays
    • Reduce Decay
    • Dentrifice
    • Fluoride
    • Halitosis
    • Tooth Ache
    • Floss
  • Teeth whitening
    • Teeth whitening
    • Electric Toothbrush
    • Dentrifice
    • Decay
    • Dental Veneers
    • Dental Specialties
  • Glossary
  • Tips & Resources
    • History Of Dentistry Infographic
    • Tooth Brush Abrasion
    • Pregnancy
    • Bruxism
    • Toothbrushes
    • Fever Blister
    • Snoring
    • Dental Insurance
    • Canker Sores
    • Toothpaste
    • Dentrifice
    • TMJ Syndrome
    • Dental Specialties
    • First Dental Visit

Coronavirus Questions

March 6, 2020 By Todays Dentist Leave a Comment

‘What Are the Symptoms?’ ‘Is There a Cure?’ and Other Coronavirus Questions

(From the New York Times)

Here’s what to do if you think you are sick and are worried it may be the coronavirus.

Experts urged people not to panic over the coronavirus. “The mantra is, ‘keep calm and carry on,’” said Dr. Marguerite Neill, an infectious disease expert at Brown University.
Experts urged people not to panic over the coronavirus. “The mantra is, ‘keep calm and carry on,’” said Dr. Marguerite Neill, an infectious disease expert at Brown University.Credit…Brittainy Newman/The New York Times
Here’s what you need to know:
    • As the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, the news is coming at a fast and furious pace. But don’t let the volume send you into a panic about your health and that of your loved ones.

“The mantra is, ‘keep calm and carry on,’” said Dr. Marguerite Neill, an infectious disease expert at Brown University.

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions about the coronavirus outbreak and its symptoms.

What symptoms should I look out for?

Symptoms of this infection include fever, cough and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. The illness causes lung lesions and pneumonia. But milder cases may resemble the flu or a bad cold, making detection difficult.

Patients also may exhibit other symptoms, such as gastrointestinal problems or diarrhea. Current estimates suggest that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days after exposure to the virus.

What should I do if I feel sick?

If you think you’re sick as a result of the novel coronavirus, you can help safeguard your loved ones and community by staying at home, except to get medical care.

The current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you call a medical professional if you notice symptoms and

  • Live in or have traveled to an area with a known coronavirus outbreak

    or

  • Have had close contact with someone else who lives in or has traveled to an area with a known coronavirus outbreak

    or

  • Have had close contact with another person who has been infected.

Calling your doctor or health professional will help them prepare for your visit and prevent the spread of the virus to other people in the office. Be sure to wear a mask when you go to the doctor’s office and when you’re around other people.

The C.D.C. also suggests that you avoid public transportation, ride-sharing services and taxis, and that you separate yourself from other people and animals in your home as soon as possible.

For more information, many state health departments have set up hotlines, but long wait times have been reported.

What if someone in my family gets sick?

Follow the same steps listed above if you think your children, or anyone else in your household, may be infected. Both the coronavirus and influenza are most dangerous to people who are over 65 or have chronic illnesses or a weak immune system. However, the flu appears far more dangerous to children, particularly very young ones. Children infected with the new coronavirus tend to have mild or no symptoms.

How does this compare to the flu?

While the symptoms are similar, the coronavirus seems to be more deadly than the flu — so far — and more contagious. Early estimates of the coronavirus death rate from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, have been around 2 percent, while the seasonal flu, on average, kills about 0.1 percent of people who become infected.

To compare, the 1918 flu had an unusually high fatality rate, around 2 percent. Because it was so contagious, that flu killed tens of millions of people.

How does the virus spread?

The new coronavirus seems to spread very easily, especially in homes, hospitals, churches, cruise ships and other confined spaces. It appears to spread through droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze.

Whether a surface looks dirty or clean is irrelevant. If an infected person sneezes and a droplet lands on a surface, a person who then touches that surface could pick it up.

A study of other coronaviruses found that they remained on metal, glass and plastic for two hours to nine days. But there is good news: The virus is relatively easy to destroy using a simple disinfectant.

EXPERT ADVICE
 Keep tissues nearby, stay busy and other tricks for how to stop touching your face.

Is there a cure? What about a vaccine?

There is no approved antiviral drug for the coronavirus, though several are being tested. For now, doctors can recommend only the usual remedies for any viral illness: rest, medicine to reduce pain and fever, and fluids to avoid dehydration.

Coronavirus patients with pneumonia may also need oxygen, and a ventilator if breathing trouble worsens.

An experimental vaccine for the coronavirus may be ready for testing in humans within a few months. But even if it is approved, it will be much longer, at least a year or two, before it is available for widespread use. In the meantime, experts are urging people and their children to get a flu shot.

My partner/friend/parent/child is very worried. How serious is this?

This virus can be deadly, clearly; there’s a reason government officials and medical experts across the world are issuing strong warnings. But the vast majority of those infected so far have only mild symptoms and make a full recovery.

It is important to keep this in mind, both to avoid an unnecessary global panic and to get a clear picture of the likelihood of transmission.

“Many people are now panicking, and some actually are exaggerating the risks,” said Dr. Jin Dong-yan, a virology expert at the University of Hong Kong. “For governments, for public health professionals — they also have to deal with these, because these will also be harmful.”

OK. Then why are experts so concerned?

Unlike other, more mild coronaviruses, this one is causing many deaths.

Experts still don’t know much about it, including how contagious it is or how it spreads.

But, the coronavirus death rate may be even lower if — as most experts suspect — there are many mild or symptom-free cases that have not been detected. Still, even a disease with a relatively low death rate can take a huge toll if large numbers of people catch it.

 

The Coronavirus Outbreak

  • Answers to your most common questions:

    Updated March 2, 2020

    • What is a coronavirus?
      It is a novel virus named for the crownlike spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to lung lesions and pneumonia.
    • How contagious is the virus?
      It seems to spread very easily from person to person, especially in homes, hospitals and other confined spaces. The pathogen can travel through the air, enveloped in tiny respiratory droplets that are produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.
    • Where has the virus spread?
      The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has sickened more than 89,700 in at least 67 countries and more than 3,000 have died. The spread has slowed in China, but is picking up speed in Europe and the United States.
    • What symptoms should I look out for?
      Symptoms, which can take between two to 14 days to appear, include fever, cough and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Milder cases may resemble the flu or a bad cold, but people may be able to pass on the virus even before they develop symptoms.
    • How do I keep myself and others safe?
      Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick and avoiding touching your face.
    • How can I prepare for a possible outbreak?
      Keep a 30-day supply of essential medicines. Get a flu shot. Have essential household items on hand. Have a support system in place for elderly family members.
    • What if I’m traveling?
      The C.D.C. has advised against all non-essential travel to South Korea, China, Italy and Iran. And the agency has warned older and at-risk travelers to avoid Japan.
    • How long will it take to develop a treatment or vaccine?
      Several drugs are being tested, and some initial findings are expected soon. A vaccine to stop the spread is still at least a year away.

Today’s Dentist,

Life Member of American Dental Association, Emeritus Fellow of Academy of General Dentistry, American Association of Implant Dentists

Email, RSS Follow

Related

About Todays Dentist

Expansive General Dentistry practice of forty plus years and want to give back to the public the knowledge of the dental profession which has been so good to me.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe For Updates

Loading

Random Glossary Term

  • Fenestration

    ‘What Are the Symptoms?’ ‘Is There a Cure?’ and Other Coronavirus Questions (From the New York Times) Here’s what to do if you think you are sick and are worried it may be the coronavirus. Experts urged people not to panic over the coronavirus. “The mantra is, ‘keep calm and carry on,’” said Dr. Marguerite […]

Today’s Dentist First Patient – Humorous

Latest Dental Posts

  • ADA Recommendations for Dental Office vs COVID-19
  • Hydroxochloroquine vs. Intubation, and its Efficacy Treating COVID-19
  • Corona Virus–Dental Office
  • Coronavirus Update 3/20/2020
  • Coronavirus—More

RSS Latest dental news

  • Why is Oral Health Important for Men?
  • Men: Looking for a Better Job? Start by Visiting the Dentist
  • What is Orofacial Pain?
  • Headaches and Jaw Pain? Check Your Posture!
  • The History of Dental Advances

Tips and Resources

Thumb Sucking, Even Adults? Oh My!

ADA Recommendations for Dental Office vs COVID-19

Hydroxochloroquine vs. Intubation, and its Efficacy Treating COVID-19

Corona Virus–Dental Office

Coronavirus Update 3/20/2020

Coronavirus—More

Coronavirus Update—How to Properly Wash Your Hands

Thumb Sucking, Even Adults? Oh My!

Coronaovirus (COVID-19)

Coronovirus Update 3/12/2020

Coronavirus Questions

Coronavirus

The 8 Best Whitening Strips To Help You Achieve A Winning Smile

Dental Tools Your Oral Professional May Use on You

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe For Updates

Loading

Copyright © 2021 TodaysDentist.org

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact Us

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.